The overall message of the PSA shares the prevalence of bad health behaviors and statistics on obesity. Much of the data reflects children, and that the majority of children who are obese, remain obese as adults. This data is worse than most may believe, and shows just how common eating fast food and being obese really is. Weightlifting is something that can be done by individuals who are obese, because it can be adjusted and done at your own pace. Once the obese individual gets more into the routine, the weight will start to disappear, and most likely, eating habits will also become healthier. Once an individual becomes dedicated to weightlifting, eating junk food is less of a craving. I believe that if people started paying more attention to how bad the statistics really are, they would start taking actions to better their health like strength training.

Many people know the basic movement of the press (also referred to as shoulder press or military press) increases muscle and strength to the deltoid muscles, but many do not realize that the shoulder press can also help carve harder abs and increase bench press performance as well. According to Jim Wendler, a strength coach in Ohio states that the shoulder press activates more core muscles than and crunch, and helps build the strength to heave bigger loads on every upper-body lift. This movement can be done with dumbbells, or the barbell. There are also two different types of press which are variations for more muscle. First is the “Push Press.” To do the push press, from the starting position, bend your hips and knees slightly as if you were about to jump. Bounce back up quickly, straightening your hips and knees, and explosively press the bar overhead. The other variation is the “Bradford Press.” For this variation, press the bar up as normal, but leave a little bend in your elbows at the top. Lower the bar behind your head, then press it back up. This move keeps all the stress on the deltoids.

Mark Rippetoe is an American strength training coach and author. In this video, Rippetoe focuses on a common error made by lifters while doing the back squat. Rippetoe points out that this error is performing the movement with “too vertical of a back angle.” Any attempt to maintain compressive force on the spine is mechanically incorrect. The spine needs to stay more horizontal so the muscles that control the position of the back and can increase in strength. In doing the back squat, we are intentionally trying to train the back muscles, and in doing so, the correct back position is actually slightly forward. This video shows the incorrect way that is commonly done, and the correct way to do a squat.

TrainOnline offers tons of free fitness videos along with other things like articles about fitness. The website includes hundreds of well shot videos with expert advice on how to perform the movements safely. You can access a lot of the site’s content without signing up at all, although if you want to talk to others on the forums, create workouts and track your favorite exercises, you’ll need an account. Memberships cost $20 for a whole year. You can save videos under favorites, and then incorporate them into your workout routine. Under each video, it will tell you what the movement is considered to be beneficial for, and what muscle groups are involved.

Ric Drasin, a Physical Trainer points out that everyone works out for different reasons. Usually, someone is focused on a “target area.” First, he takes women who come into the gym looking to lose fat on the thighs or butt. Drasin points out that going into the gym and doing heavy leg press will only add muscle to the area, increasing the size. What he says you must do is very light weight for 20-30 reps. Hours of cardio is not going to help. After 20 minutes the body starts to burn muscle, not fat, which actually makes you start to feel like you are getting more fat. Drasin points out that weight resistant training along with a healthy diet (high protein, low-carbs) will give you muscle shape and contour, and the ability to shed the fat.

The overall message of this infographic is to share all the benefits that come along with strength training, especially the ones that people may not know, and may be surprising. One of the statistics on the infographic is adding just two lifting sessions a week can reduce body fat by 7 percent. With so many people working out who just want to trim down on their body fat, this statistic may stick out to someone who previous thought the only way to lose fat was to do aerobic exercise. The major benefits pointed out in this infographic are: lower blood pressure, improved sleep patterns, boosted metabolism, increased levels of dopamine, and decreased effects of aging. This infographic shows all the health benefits in comparison to a person living a sedentary lifestyle, where no lifting is involved. I believe this infographic shares really great statistical data that may be a great influence to make someone want to start incorporating weightlifting into their workout regimen.

This article talks about how lifting weights can potentially make someone lose 40 percent more fat as compared to someone who doesn’t exercise. When Penn State researchers put dieters into three groups which were no exercise, aerobic exercise only, or aerobic exercise and weight training. All groups lost around 21 pounds, but the lifters lost six more pounds of fat than those who didn’t weight lift. The article talks about how the lifters’ loss was almost pure fat; the others lost fat and muscle. The article also discusses how weightlifting will cause individuals to burn more calories, handle stress better, and usually will improve an individual’s happiness.

LIFEbar has two locations, one in Lexington, and one located directly on 1570 Bardstown Rd. Hours: Monday-Saturday from 8-7pm, Sunday from 11-5pm. LIFEbar specializes in signature superfood smoothies, fresh organic juice blends, vegetable blends, “healthy life shots,” and even “enhancer blends.” The mission of LIFEbar is to “provide the public with a warm and friendly atmosphere that provides healthy drinks made with superfood herbs, raw and cooked foods from fresh, organic and local produce, that tastes great, provides better-quality nutrition, and enhances overall health and well-being. These quick on the go drinks are a great supplement to add to your diet, especially after a workout. Each drink on the menu shows exactly what is put into it, and how many calories are in it. Some drinks focus on protein, which is a must after a workout.